Method for composing a timber packet



Sept. 26, 1967 v. T. KURKI METHOD FOR COMPQSING A TIMBER PACKET 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1964 Sept. 26, 1967 v. T. KURKI METHOD FOR COMPOSING A TIMBER PACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. l5, 1964 IIIIIIIIIII United States Patent O 3,343,694 ll/ETHOD PGR COMPOSING A THMBER PACKET Viljo Tuomas Kur-ki, Kaukas, Finland, assignor to Oy Kaukas Ah, Kaulras, Finland, a corporation Filed Oct. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 403,984 Claims priority, application Sweden, Get. 15, 1963, 11,301/63 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-152) The present invention has reference to a method for composing a timber packet, and the object of the invention is to provide a method which may be carried out by a device which requires considerably less space than devices known heretofore.

A plurality of devices are heretofore known, by which the timber packet is composed Vby guiding a new timber layer upon transverse slabs, arranged upon the lower layers, while the timber packet under formation is lowered a distance corresponding to the thickness of one layer by means of a lifting device. This is continued until the packet is completed and is conveyed away from the lifting device to be transported further. Thereafter the lifting device is raised back to its original position and the composition of a new packet can commence. This method, of composing the packet downwards in this way, has the drawback that the necessary lifting device, since the extent of the vertical movement of it has to correspond to the height of the largest timber packet, requires a very considerable space and, because of the long return movement, is slow.

When the composition of timber packets is carried out with the method according to this invention, the main characteristics of which are apparent from the claims, the

packet rises gradually upwards and the necessary lifting distance of one layer remains short; thus all the conveyors and other necessary devices can be arranged mainly at the same level.

The main characteristics of the illustrated device adapted for carrying out the method according to this invention are as follows:

The device includes a distributing conveyor which is arranged to convey timber to a collecting conveyor adapted for formation of a layer of timber for a timber packet, and a slab silo situated above the collecting conveyor which is arranged after the completion of the timber layer to drop the necessary number of intermediate slabs transversally over the layer. There is provided a lifting device which is arranged to lift the layer which has been conveyed by the collecting conveyor, together with the intermediate slabs upwards, until an uncompleted timber packet situated above it becomes supported by the said layer. The said packet together with the new layer is maintained in such lifted position a certain period of time; thereafter the packet is lifted upwards by the lifting device a distance which corresponds to the height of the layer, and is kept in this position by the lifting device for a certain period of time. Thereafter the packet is lowered by the lifting device to its original position. The apparatus has supporting elements which are arranged to move back and forth in a guide device under the timber packet in such a way that they move away from it during the time the lifting device for the first time stops and supports the packet. In case the packet is not completed, the lifting elements move back to under the packet during the time the lifting device stops for the second time, thereby to support the packet. The lifting device is arranged thereafter to lower the packet down onto the supporting elements. When the packet is completed, the supporting elements stay in the withdrawn position until an uppermost layer of a new packet has been raised above the level of the supporting elements, whereby the lifting device is arranged to lower the completed timber packet down onto the collecting conveyor which is arranged to transport the completed packet away from the lifting device to be conveyed further.

In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a device suited for carrying out the invention is shown by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device,

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the slab dropping device actuated by the supporting elements seen from above, and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 2.

A distributing conveyor 1 brings the material to a collecting conveyor 2. When the desired number of timber pieces for one layer of the packet has accumulated on the collecting conveyor, the conveyor 1 is stopped for a moment, while the conveyor 2 conveys the completed packet layer 8 forward enough to provide for the necessary space ou the conveyor 2 before the commencement of a new layer. Thereafter the conveyor 1 is started again, whereby a new packet layer builds up on the conveyor 2 and the completed layer 8 moves forward to a lifting device 4, whereupon the conveyors 1 and 2 both stop. The lifting device 4 starts and lifts the packet load up. When the upper surface of the packet layer rises to the level of the upper surface of the supporting elements 5, the supporting elements 5 are actuated and withdrawn out of the way. The movement of the lifting device 4 continues after this, and the packet layer rises above the upper surface of the supporting elements 5 and the lifting device stays in that position until the supporting elements have returned to their original positions, whereafter the lifting device descends and the layer is left supported by the supporting elements 5. While withdrawing to their back position the supporting elements 5 let the slabs 6 fall from the slab silos 7 upon the completed layer 8. The operation is thus continued until the packet to be provided with slabs is completed. When the lifting `device 4 lifts the last layer to the packet, the supporting elements 5 do not return to their original position but stay in their back position, while the packet descends, supported by the lifting device, tothe conveyor 2. After this the props 9 are lowered down and the conveyors 1, 2 and 3 are started, whereby the completed packet 10 is conveyed to the conveyor 3. At the same time a new completed packet layer moves to the lifting device and a new one is composed under the slab silo 7, at which time the -conveyors f1, 2 and 3 stop and the props 9 are raised up.

The lifting device consists of a lifting platform 11 which at each side and possibly at the middle is provided with shaft pins 12, provided for instance with rollers, which -pins cooperate with forcibly driven profile wheels 13, which have a peripheral formation such that when rotating they cause the lifting platform to make the above described movement.

The device for dropping the intermediate slabs is shown in more detail in FIGURES 2 and 3. The intermediate slabs 6 are in the silo 7 arranged in piles, which are held in place and guided by the U-irons 14 situated at each end of the pile. At one end the U-iron 14 is provided with an indentation 15, the height and length of which are such as to allow the slab 6 freely to be pushed aside away from the pile. At the opposite side of the U-irons 14 a dropping device actuated by the supporting elements 5 is arranged at each end of the slab pile, consisting of a spring loaded pushing rod 17 provided with a pinmounted roller 18, 19. The supporting element 5 is arranged to be forcibly moved between the pin 19 and a supporting roller 20 situated at the other side of the supporter, and on a supporting roller 21. At the side of the supporting element 5 carrying the pin 19 there is a triangular projection 22, which, as the supporting element withdraws from under a packet under formation, pushes by means of the projection pin 19 the pushing rod 17 against the force of the spring 16 and drops the slab 6 from the pile. Since only one of the U-i-rons 14 is provided with an indentation 15, that end of the slab falls first, with the other end following, whereby a softer fall of the `slabs is accomplished.

Only the parts rnost important from the point of View of the operation are shown in the drawings, and all parts, including the drive motors, etc., to which various solutions obvious to anyone versed in the art can be adapted, are omitted for clarity. The invention is however not limited to the described and illustrated details but these can be varied in many ways within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A method of forming a timber packet which includes transverse intermediate slabs between layers formed by the timber pieces proper, which comprises the following steps in the order named: forming a completed layer of at least three side by side elongated timber pieces proper, dropping transverse intermediate elongated slabs upon the completed timber layer transverse to the timber pieces at a first zone thereby to form a first unit composed of the timber layer and the intermediate transverse slabs superimposed thereupon, conveying said first unit with the timber piece lengths at right angles to the direction of travel and the slab lengths parallel to the direction of travel to a second, unit assembling zone, raising the first unit at such zone, and supporting the first unit in its raised position from its underside by supports disposed at a fixed vertical position, forming a second unit in the same manner as the first unit, conveying the second unit beneath the raised first unit at the unit assembling zone, raising the second unit into contact with the underside of the first unit so that the weight of the first unit is borne by the second unit, supporting the first and second units at the unit assembling zone from the underside of the second unit by said supports, withdrawing the supports laterally from beneath the underside of a completed packet to the level at which the layers of timber of other units are formed, and transporting the completed thus orrned packet away from the unit assembling zone.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the units are conveyed horizontally from the first, unit forming Zone to the second, unit assembling zone, temporarily supporting the lirst unit at the second zone by said supports engaging the underside of the first unit before the assembly of the second unit therewith, withdrawing said supports when the second unit being assembled with the Iirst unit has risen thereunder sufliciently to assume the weight of the first unit, continuing the raising of the second unit with the first unit superimposed thereon, and then introducing said supports beneath the underside of the second unit, so as to support the assembled rst and second units.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,948 6/ 1945 Paxton et al 214-6 2,937,482 5/1960 Lazott et al. 214-6 2,949,118 8/1960 Long 214-6 3,231,101 1/1966 Cooper 214-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,625 9/1956 Finland. 141,624 8/1953 Sweden. 161,965 1/ 1958 Sweden.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

I. E. OLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FORMING A TIMBER PACKET WHICH INCLUDES TRANSVERSE INTERMEDIATE SLABS BETWEEN LAYERS FORMED BY THE TIMBER PIECES PROPER, WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS IN THE ORDER NAMED: FORMING A COMPLETED LAYER OF AT LEAST THREE SIDE BY SIDE ELONGATED TIMBER PIECES PROPER, DROPPING TRANSVERSE INTERMEDIATE ELONGATED SLABS UPON THE COMPLETED TIMBER LAYER TRANSVERSE TO THE TIMBER PIECES AT A FIRST ZONE THEREBY TO FORM A FIRST UNIT COMPOSED OF THE TIMBER LAYER AND THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSVERSE SLABS SUPERIMPOSED THEREUPON, CONVEYING SAID FIRST UNIT WITH THE TIMBER PIECE LENGTHS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND THE SLAB LENGTHS PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL TO A SECOND, UNIT ASSEMBLING ZONE, RAISING THE FIRST UNIT AT SUCH ZONE, AND SUPPORTING THE FIRST UNIT IN ITS RAISED POSITION FROM ITS UNDERSIDE BY SUPPORTS DISPOSED AT A FIXED VERTICAL POSITION, FORMING A SECOND UNIT IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE FIRST UNIT, CONVEYING THE SECOND UNIT BENEATH THE RAISED 